The Unstoppable Force that is Kurtis Wiebe: Grim Leaper #1

Grim Leaper #1: Written by Kurtis Wiebe and drawn by Aluisio Santos.

A few months ago, my life changed forever. No, I didn’t see God or win the lotto. Instead, I started reading independent comics. Comics like Locke and Key, Morning Glories and Green Wake changed the way I bought comic books. As we have mentioned several times before, you missed out on one of the best dark mystery books on the market, Green Wake. Please, do not miss out on the writer of Green Wake, Kurtis Wiebe. Kurtis Wiebe is becoming an unstoppable force in the comic community. At the moment, he is writing Peter Panzerfaust. Next month, he delivers Grim Leaper to the stands. This summer, the band is getting back together and Kurtis is teaming up again with Green Wake’s artist, Riley Rossmo to bring you Debris. We have been given this gracious opportunity to read and review an early copy of Grim Leaper.

Do you enjoy romance books? Were you a fan of those awful Final Destination movies? We found a comic book for you. First off, this book does a great job balancing the book with really fascinating art and a fun story. I want to start off with the art. The coloring is not bright and doesn’t smack the reader in the face. Instead, it is very mellow and edgy and it fits the story perfectly. The strongest parts of Santos’ art were the facial expressions when the characters escape death or the moment they are killed. In the first few pages, the main character, Lou is actually killed by a heavy duty tire. It was one of the most disgusting and beautifully drawn death scenes that I’ve ever read. As the head was sliced off, blood spewed everywhere and Lou’s fucking eye was dangling by a thread. Santos’ art is a winner!

Let’s get down to business. Kurtis concept for Grim Leaper is original and a lot of fun. Right away, we are introduced to the main character, Lou. He’s that sleazy, womanizing, sarcastic type of guy. By the end of the issue, that is no longer the case. By the way, Lou throws up on the set of a game show about love and then he continues to mock the show, which might have been one of my favorite scenes in the book.

According to Lou, he is cursed and when he dies, his spirit is never given the chance to rest in peace. Instead of entering through those pearly white gates, he resurfaces in a new body in the same town, over and over again. No, wonder he can be a prick at times. Thankfully, Lou learns he is not the only one of his kind. Kurtis introduces us to Ella, who at the moment, is living in the body of a hardcore metal fan. It seems that future issues of Grim Leaper will be about Lou’s search for his lost love, Ella. Even though I am excited to see what path the story will be going down, I can't wait to read how Kurtis kills Lou over and over again. Does anyone want to see Lou fall from the sky and land in helicopter blades?